


Historical Stitches

by Kasuna_Kotonoha



Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, F/M, John Needs A Hug, John has a lot of regrets, M/M, Sad John Laurens, does he get the hug?, emotional breakdown, read to find out
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-15
Updated: 2019-12-16
Packaged: 2021-02-26 17:21:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,437
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21812056
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kasuna_Kotonoha/pseuds/Kasuna_Kotonoha
Summary: Some people really like messing with timelines. Bringing eight people into a room to watch a couple videos is par for the course when it comes to altering history.Except one of them has already lived it.Based on two animatics by Mush Roomie-Ready as I'll ever be (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKpq1matXXo&t=10s)-Omake Pfadlib (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qu3UimakMSQ)If you haven't watched them, do that, it will make a lot more sense if you do
Relationships: Alexander Hamilton/John Laurens, Hercules Mulligan/Margaret "Peggy" Schuyler, Maria Reynolds/Elizabeth "Eliza" Schuyler
Comments: 3
Kudos: 30





	1. Ready as I'll ever be

_ Welcome, everyone.  _

Ten people found themselves pulled from present, whatever that was for them, into a bare room with nothing but seating and a screen on one wall.

_ I brought you here to view a potential future one of you is aware of. You will be watching a couple of videos that were put together.  _

_ The purpose of this viewing is to try and prevent this timeline from happening. _

_ Now, I’d like to make sure everyone’s here. _

*one roll call later*

_ Alright everyone, have a seat and we’ll get started. _

Everyone took their seats as follows from left to right, arcing around the screen; John, Alexander, Lafayette, Hercules, Peggy, Angelica, Eliza, Maria.

John knew for a fact he was the single person from the future. That by itself would be stressful enough, but considering his actions...well, it was likely no one, not even Alexander, would be willing to trust him afterwards.

He pulled the blanket he’d been provided with tightly around him, shrinking back in his seat. Unlike everyone else, who were on couches, John was sitting in a chair. And wasn’t that nice, being isolated from everyone.

He had no doubt that Alex had noticed that, but John couldn’t bear to look at him right now, lest he suffer an emotional breakdown. (There was a high chance of that happening later, but he might as well delay the inevitable while he could.)

The screen lit up and John forced his attention there.

**_Background: Basically, it's a zombie apocalypse. No one’s sure what caused it, but the dead were being reanimated and infecting more and more people. This is the timeline you are trying to prevent._ **

Everyone nodded. The music started up and the first frame had everyone gasping.

**_On-screen, as a dramatic bass line played, both Angelica and Eliza could be seen suspended from their wrists. Eliza was awake, but Angelica was out cold, a gas mask-like thing over her nose and mouth._ **

**_The frame soon changed to a man in a black turtleneck standing at a control panel, the two Schuylers in the background. Needless to say, everyone recognized him._ **

John’s pretty sure everyone gasped again, but he’s more focused on attempting to ignore the looks they are no doubt giving him. 

**John: Any moment now, your highness**

Mockingly said, how fitting. 

**Believe me I know**

**I've sunk pretty low**

And wasn’t that the truth. It didn’t scare him enough then how far he would have gone for Alex. It did now.

**But whatever I've done you deserve**

**Eliza: Jackie-**

John sighed internally.  _ I wouldn’t have listened to anyone at that point, Elizabeth, except Alexander. _

**John: Quiet!**

**I'm the bad guy, that's fine**

**It's no fault of mine**

_ Are you sure about that? Sure seems like it. _

**And some justice at last will be served**

**Eliza: Please listen**

_ At least you tried, Elizabeth. I didn’t listen to you, but thanks anyway. _

**John: Now it's time to step up**

**Or it's time to back down**

**And there's only one answer for me**

He thought he could sense Alex’s shock from the neighboring couch. John shrunk back further, if that was possible.

**And I'll stand up and fight**

**cause I know that I'm right**

_ Was I really, though? _

**And I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready**

Elizabeth’s helpless expression as he fit the mask over her face made him sick to his stomach. Had he really been ready to hurt such a pure soul?

Yes. The answer was yes.

**Ready as I'll ever be**

**Maria: Now it's time to rise up**

Rise up. That was something Alex said all the time. He had this insatiable desire to do things that really meant something, to do something people would remember him for. That passion was infectious.

It was one of the many things John loved about him.

**Or it's time to stand down**

**And the answer is easy to see**

It made sense to him that Maria would help lead the charge. She was charismatic, charming, able to rally people to any cause. Her charisma, combined with Lafayette's tactical brilliance would be an unstoppable force.

**And I swear by the sword**

**If you're in, get on board**

**Are you ready?**

She was. Lord help anyone unfortunate enough to get in between her and her girlfriend.

**Laf: I'm ready**

For Lafayette, he was preparing to confront someone he’d thought was his friend.

**Burr and Sam: We're ready**

**Crowd: We're ready**

**Maria: Ready as I'll ever be**

**Herc: Are you quite sure we can do this?**

**Peggy: Together we will guarantee**

Peggy, impressive, strong-willed girl she was, managed to smile through her tears, choosing to instead console her boyfriend.

**John: I'll make them hear me**

**Crowd: Now it's time to redeem**

**Or it's time to resolve**

**Maria: Prove they can trust me**

Appropriate, considering she was part of several extortion schemes. Granted, that had mostly been her ex husband, but she was still involved.

**Crowd: And the outcome will hardly come free**

**Peggy: I'll save my home and family**

She’d sure try her damn best, and god help anyone unfortunate enough to get in her way.

**Crowd: Now the line's in the sand**

**And our moment's at hand**

**Laf: And I'm ready**

**Maria: I'm ready**

**Peggy and Herc: I'm ready**

**John: Ready as I'll ever be**

He lowered his eyes to the floor as the screen flashed the last frame, him holding the mask that had originally been for Peggy over his nose and mouth, before going dark. 

The silence was deafening.

His right hand fiddled with the cuff on the left sleeve of the black turtleneck he was wearing, the same one as in the video. It was a nervous habit he’d picked up as a child.

It wasn’t until Alex was in front of him, brushing away tears with his thumb that he realized he was crying.

***

Angelica couldn’t believe the situation they were in. Getting summoned by some witchcraft to a room in god knows where wasn’t a good thing, no matter what everyone said. Sure, she would like to prevent an apocalyptic timeline, but it was still unnatural.

She didn’t miss the fact that John was the only one sitting in a chair, nor did she miss the fact that he seemed to shrink away from everyone, even his boyfriend.

When the video started, she felt her stomach drop. She pulled Eliza and Peggy close to her, and they didn’t object.

***

Alexander couldn’t quite believe what he was seeing. John, sweet, kind John,  _ his _ John, was doing something that could by no definition be positive. 

When he saw himself, bloody, with a stitch down his left cheek, his breath got caught in his throat. 

John was doing this because of him. He’d been bitten, most likely, and John was doing everything he could to cure him, at the probable expense of people he knew.

He badly wanted to reach over and grab John’s hand, reassure him that he was there, but his boyfriend’s eyes, though they were trained on the screen, seemed far away and unfocused.

***

The whole situation made Eliza feel sick. She’d trusted John, and for him to do something like this was just incomprehensible. Angelica pulled her and Peggy close, and she leaned into her older sister.

She was glad that she’d at least attempted to reason with John. Even if he wouldn’t listen, she couldn’t say she hadn’t tried.

When the mask was strapped onto her face, Angelica pulled her even closer.

***

Maria was pleased that George trusted her enough to lead alongside Laf. She put her charisma to good use, rallying the group.

She would save her girlfriend, obstacles be damned. Speaking of Eliza, she was currently being side hugged by Angelica. Maria reached over, grabbed Eliza’s hand, and didn’t let go once.

She sure hoped they would trust her.

***

Lafayette was struggling to comprehend what was going on. John, someone he’d thought he could trust, had two of the Schuyler sister’s captive, planning to do who knows what to them.

He wanted to get up and punch his friend-but could he call him that?- in the face, but Alex and Hercules stopped him.

He wasn’t sure why until he looked over at him.

John was curled in his chair as far away from them as possible, blanket (Why didn’t they get blankets?) wrapped tightly around him. He seemed slightly out of it, and Laf wasn’t sure what to make of that.

He forced down the feeling of betrayal as best he could. 

***

Peggy appreciated her badassery. She considered it likely that she’d escaped, if only because she and her sisters would never, under any circumstances, willingly split up. She was also impressed at her ability to smile despite the circumstances, giving Herc a confidence boost.

And yes, she  _ would  _ save her home and family.

No matter what.

***

Alexander watched the entire video with a sort of morbid fascination. The last frame had him reeling. Those masks obviously didn’t mean anything good, yet John had put one on himself. 

Once again, Alex took in his boyfriend. His eyes had lowered to the floor, and he was still curled away from everyone. 

Everyone was silent as they processed what they just saw.

If he knew John as well as he thought he did, he probably expected everyone to hate him, or at the very least be unable to trust him again.

Alex got up and walked the few steps to where John was sitting. His hand cupped his lover's cheek as he brushed away the tears that had started falling with his thumb.

John’s eyes widened at the touch, and it saddened him to realize that John hadn’t been expecting any sympathy.

Alexander spread his arms, and John practically fell into the embrace. One hand ran through his boyfriend’s curly hair as the other rubbed circles on his back. 

He bit his lip to keep himself from crying as John broke down in his arms.


	2. Omake Pfadlib

It was a little while before they were ready to continue.

John’s eyes were puffy and red when the next video started

_Ok, once we finish this next video, there will be time for questions._

Everyone got settled, though

**_Piano music plays as various images flash across the screen. One is a string of strange symbols. The most startling one is of zombie Alex_ **

**_“Route Z”_ **

“What's that supposed to mean?” Maria got no response.

**Will I stay where it's safe and sound?**

**Will I fight 'till I hit the ground?**

**Inside the bitter cage**

As images of the Schuyler sisters appear on the screen, the much less high energy music is giving everyone the chills.

**All the flowers wilt down in the crimson sky...**

**Take my hand,**

Zombie Alex makes everyone shudder.

**Will we run or stay**

**In this world full of cruelty?**

**_The smile on John’s face is bittersweet._ **

**Will we take arms with the hope to see the sun again?**

**We pray...**

**Do we lack the strength to fight?**

The image of Peggy fighting makes her sisters fear for her safety.

**Have we lost the will to fly?**

Eliza feels the blood drain from her face as she sees herself getting bit. Angelica and Peggy scream, clinging to their sister like they might never see her again.

**The world is dark...**

**The world is cruel...**

**But still we hang on tight**

John’s expression as he aims the gun at his lover's head is heartbreaking.

**If this final breath could somehow save this world**

**I'd breath my last sigh, and close my tired eyes**

All the girls scream, Maria holding onto her girlfriend much like she is on screen.

**And all the ones we lost, we'd find again**

Peggy gets a bad feeling when she sees her on-screen expression.

**In this beautiful world we've wished for**

Everyone can’t help but think of the simpler times when they see Alex and John acting like a happy couple. John, for the first time in a while, manages a faint smile.

**But the worlds grows darker**

Everyone gasps as they realize the implications of Maria’s wound

**We can't recover**

Peggy can hazard a guess as to why she has tears in her eyes.

**This narrow cage that we depend on slowly crumbles…**

Peggy feels sick to her stomach as she sees herself kill Maria. She glances at Maria and is surprised to find gratitude.

**Is this the end we cannot mend?**

**We're slowly dying**

Angelica and Eliza squeeze their sister's hand in reassurance when they see her grief.

**If we're here, even with fear**

**We must keep fighting...**

**_“What the hell is this place?”_ **

**_“Who knows…”_ **

**_“And this machine…”_ **

**_“There's a note in here.”_ **

**_“Ugh, it’s in some strange font. I can’t read it.”_ **

**_“Let me see. Oh god.”_ **

**_“What?”_ **

**_“We have to blow this place up.”_ **

**_“Ange...What are you saying?”_ **

**_Stranges symbols flash across the screen_ **

**_“He started it all.”_ **

**_There are a few seconds of just a plain black screen before another set of strange symbols appears for a fraction of a second before disappearing._ **

“What was that? What did those notes say?” Eliza asked nervously

“And what did they mean by “He started it?”” said Lafayette.

On-screen, the messages that had been seen throughout the video appearing in that strange font, except they were stable and weren’t going away.

“Is that wingdings?”

“I think so. Hey, Angie, Peggy, remember we spend hours learning it when we were younger?”

“Yeah, that was fun.”

Herc raised an eyebrow. “Does that mean you can read them?”

“I think so, but it might take a bit. I’m a little rusty. Can I get some paper?”

To Angelica’s surprise, a notebook and a pencil appeared in her lap. It was quiet as she translated the messages, her eyes betraying both her surprise and sadness at whatever it was they said.

She passed off to her sisters, who caught a few mistakes and they were left with the following, which appeared on the screen.

_It's all your fault, John. It's your fault that your mom is..._

_Doctor Laurens_

_This will undo all the errors you've made. Rejoice John, Aren't you excited? Aren't you happy?_

Everyone stared in shock as they began to piece together a picture they really don’t like.

“Did your father make that machine,” Laf hesitantly asked.

John nodded wordlessly, not trusting himself to speak. He takes a few deep breaths, trying to steel himself for the questions they will inevitably ask.

“Why?”

...and there it is. John knows he can’t avoid an explanation, so he decides to tell a story.

“It was a year or two ago…”


End file.
